 | |
| Broadcast area | Fayetteville, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Foxy 99 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Mainstream urban |
| Subchannels | HD2:Adult contemporary "Sunny 94.3" |
| Affiliations | The Breakfast Club |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WAZZ,WFLB,WKML,WUKS | |
| History | |
First air date | 1978 (as WENC-FM) |
Former call signs | WENC-FM (1978–1980) WQTR (1980–1986) |
Call sign meaning | W ZFoXy |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 32376 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 299 meters (981 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 34°44′5″N78°47′25″W / 34.73472°N 78.79028°W /34.73472; -78.79028 |
| Translators | 94.3 W232CI (Fayetteville, relays HD2) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live HD2:Listen live |
| Website | foxy99.com sunny943.com (HD2) |
WZFX (99.1FM) is anmainstream urban formattedbroadcastradio station licensed toWhiteville, North Carolina and located inFayetteville, North Carolina. WZFX broadcasts under the branding "Foxy 99." WZFX is owned and operated byBeasley Media Group. Its studios are located east of downtown Fayetteville, and its transmitter is located inTar Heel, North Carolina.
As of the fall 2021 ratings period, WZFX has the highest ratings of any radio station in the Fayetteville market.[2]
99.1 FM first signed on as WENC FM in 1978 with its license in the city of Whiteville. It is believed the frequency signed on with 5,000 watts at this time.
In March 1986,WQTR-FM increased its power to 100,000 watts, changed toWZFX, and became"The All New FM 99 The Fox, WZFX". The station has a Rhythmic Top-40 format.[3] The new owners were Steve Weil ofGoldsboro, North Carolina, his brother Henry Weil, and his sister Leslie Weil.[4]
In 1987, WZFX evolved into anUrban/CHR a.k.a. CHUrban format playing such artist asNew Edition,Lillo Thomas, Force MD's andTroop. WZFX changed its moniker to "99.1 the Fox"; however, in 1995 brought back the "Original Foxy 99" and broadcast its 100,000-watt signal on the air "From the Capital City to the Coast". WZFX is the sister station ofWIKS inJacksonville, North Carolina, which also has a similar format and signal power of 100,000 watts.
In 1990, afterWQSM stopped playingtop 40, WZFX added some top 40 hits to its music mix.[5] This move took "The Fox" back to the top of the ratings.[6]In 1994, WZFX moved from theWachovia building to a formerCato department store, which the owners purchased.[4]
In 1995, Atlantic Broadcasting Group soldWROV-FM to Ray Thomas ofRoanoke, Virginia andWLNI inLynchburg, Virginia, leaving the company with only WZFX. Several DJs and general manager Lynn Carraway were let go. At the time, WZFX played norap until after 5 in the afternoon, and rap-leaningWLRD was doing very well despite its limited signal.[7]
In 1997,Beasley Broadcasting—owner ofWKML,WTSB,WAZZ andWEWO—bought WZFX from Joyner Communications. There was talk in 1996 of another company buying WZFX and WLRD, but that deal fell apart.[8] Later in the year, Beasley also bought WLRD andWYRU. For a short time, WLRD aired the programming of WZFX.[9]
WZFX's signal north of Carthage, Moore County begins to see significant interference from WSLQ-FM out of Roanoke, Virginia. This is also the case in southern Chatham County, much of Montgomery and Randolph Counties and nearly all of Wake County. Under ideal atmospheric conditions, WZFX can be received with little to no interference from WSLQ as far north as Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Hillsborough and Durham.